Why did you start making charts?

[benpaco]

Alright, everyone, the basic question here is why did you start making charts or lists? Why do you still? I know for some of you, it'll probably be "when I joined the site, I started". But others started elsewhere, or for other reasons. For example:

My grandfather is estranged. He ran off with his other family and lives in Brazil now. I've only ever met him twice, and only ever heard from him 1 time outside of that. When I was in the 3rd grade, he knew nothing about me outside of that I liked The Beatles and was in Little League. We met for the first time (as far as I know - we might've met when I was very, very young, but I have no memory of this) at a restaurant, and since it was about a week after my birthday and a day after my brothers', he'd brought gifts. He got me a pack of baseball cards, one of 2 packs I've ever actually gotten one of those rare memorabilia or autographed cards in (this was totally by chance and luck - even luckier, it was a Giant). The other gift was more lifechanging.

You know how Rolling Stone makes those "GREATEST ALBUMS OF ALL TIME" issues? Well, it used to be (I haven't seen it since) that they made them into big, full books. He'd bought me this book, and upon seeing The Beatles at #1, I knew it was reputable (keep in mind, I was a 3rd grader). That book went everywhere with me. I'd bring it on car trips, I'd study it at home, I learned the first 100 in order by heart. It was the only thing I really had a connection to my grandfather with. Soon, I started making my own list of the greatest songs of all time, as I didn't know enough full albums. By 5th grade, I had Excel spreadsheets with the best songs per decade, of all time, of several genres, as well as my top 100 albums of all time. I didn't really know why I liked making these lists, outside of I felt a connection to my grandfather whenever I made them.

In 7th grade, I was ready to quit band. I was done with the boring ole pieces on saxophone. My grandfather visited for the 2nd time in my life, to celebrate my Bar Mitzvah. He brought with him a gift again, a Stan Getz CD and a Benny Goodman CD. The Getz CD kept me on saxophone and in band, and the Goodman CD changed my outlook on music in general. It was a "Best Of", but again bares some sort of connection to my grandfather. I bought Benny Goodman Sextet's eponymous album because of him, and it sits on my chart because I feel that connection with him when I listen to it.

Charts have had this really strong connection to me as a result. Today, my grandfather's in the area, and I'll be meeting him again for the 3rd time in my life. It made me sit down and think about what little I knew about him and what little I had to connect with him with. And it made me realize that I started making lists so I could feel some sort of connection with him.

And that led me to wonder if anyone else here has strong connections to list-making. So you tell me, BEA, why do you make lists?
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. . . 2016 . . . 2015 . . .

Things I Make

[WindowAbove]

when I joined the site, I started

[Silver]

I've always kept like a top ten list even before I came to BEA because I like the arbitrary designations I give to things I like, but I think it's also for convenience to me. I love having a source to go to and say, "okay, these are my favorite albums" or "This is all my favorite shoegaze shit". It keeps all my thoughts organized, when normally I'm pretty scattered with those sort of things. It's all a purely selfish enterprise I guess.

[Antonio-Pedro]

I started to make list of songs before coming here, I had my 20 favourite songs in my cell phone sometimes just to tell someone what were my favorites songs, Then I started to listen to albums 5 months after I joined BEA, I started to make my chart it was all disorganized, And then I got some experience from some users here, and then Reorganized almost everything, I improved my way to listen to music, and my way to enjoy music making charts, I became more critic to music, I discovered that music wasn't just lyrics, but was a message behind it, a magic behind everything. The fact is that even when you don't have a music "list" you already have that sense to define what you like most than another, it is not perfect but at least it's already something.



BTW if you don't mind me asking I also would like to know what made you start writting notes

[alelsupreme]

Aspergers.
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Romanelli wrote:

We're all fucked, lads.

[benpaco]

[Cymro2011]

There was a button that said "add chart" and I was like "Okay".
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"Drink beer, smoke pot, and create something that will storm heaven. That's all I ever really cared about." - Ron House

[Norman Bates]

- I wanted to keep track of what I owned and had listened to.
- I wanted to show off how well-listened I was.
- I wanted to make a difference on the overall.
- I wanted some artists which I thought were not enough heard of get some recognition.

All of which can be narrowed down to:
- I wanted people to love me.

[19loveless91]

[Patman360]

I'm a nerd for making lists of stuff. Pretty much sums it up.
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